NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, August 25, 2024

Episode Date: August 26, 2024

Israel launches strike as Hezbollah retaliates with rocket attack; Biden briefed with developments in Israel and Lebanon, says spokesperson; Hurricane Hone passes near Hawaii as flash floods prompt rescues in Grand Canyon; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, a major escalation in the Middle East and the growing fears it could lead to a larger war. Israel launching massive strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The militant group responding, attacking Israel with drones and missiles. The efforts now to prevent a larger conflict. And weather extremes. Hurricane Hone sweeping just past Hawaii with strong winds and heavy rains on the southwest. Flash floods sending this slab of the Grand Canyon crashing down and trapping more than 100 people.

Big dollar bounce. Harris campaign says they have raked in millions since her convention speech. Vice President's plan to keep up the momentum as former President Trump hits the trail in key battleground states. And two critical missions for SpaceX. A risky mission set for this week as it also prepares to bring home two astronauts stuck in space.

And new concerns about a dangerous virus that sent Dr. Anthony Fauci to the hospital. The weather changes that might be making it worse in the town that's now recommending a curfew. And an NBC News exclusive. Our one-on-one with the CEO of the company behind weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wagovi, his comments on the long-term effects and the company's plans to make them easier to take. And just lying around the hundreds of sea lions

that shut down a popular beach. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening, I'm Gotti Schwartz in for Hallie and we start tonight with the growing threat of a larger war in the Middle East. Overnight, Israel launching what it's calling preemptive strikes against Hezbollah, saying the Iranian-backed militant group was planning to stage a large-scale attack this morning. Hezbollah then responding with drones and missiles. The exchange marks a major escalation of violence since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7th, now threatening to open a second battlefront. That's raising serious concerns that the entire Middle East could spiral into chaos, pulling other countries into a wider regional conflict that could lead to U.S. involvement. We're following all of the latest developments tonight, starting with Matt Bradley in Tel Aviv. The day began with a massive display

of firepower. Israel launched what it called a preemptive strike against a planned Hezbollah attack from Lebanon. But a pre-dawn volley of Hezbollah rockets and drones from Lebanon caused no civilian casualties, Israeli authorities said, and minimal damage. A month of rising fears about a region-wide war averted for now. This morning we detected Hezbollah's preparations to attack Israel, said Israel's prime minister. We instructed the IDF to act proactively to remove the threat. Still, both sides claimed victory. Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, denied that Israel had launched a preemptive strike,

but said their attack was complete, calling it retribution for Israel's assassination of a senior Hezbollah leader in Lebanon last month, sparking concerns of a wider conflict that could even drag in the U.S. They didn't necessarily strike particularly hard. Do you think this was a face-saving climb down by Hezbollah? Part of this attack, looking not as big, was our self-defense attack in the morning before their attack. Israeli handout video appears to show military aircraft

targeting Hezbollah firing canisters aimed at north and central Israel. Hezbollah said they fired aimed at north and central Israel. Hezbollah said they fired 320 Qatusha rockets at Israel and a volley of drones. But even if the Middle East can breathe a sigh of relief for now, for the hundreds of thousands of displaced from both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border, there's no relief from violence and uncertainty. The war has been going on for 11 months, said this Lebanese resident. People are tired. This is unacceptable. And Matt's in Tel Aviv tonight. Matt, what's the status on the ceasefire and hostage negotiations?

Yeah, Gadi, a U.S. official told NBC News that the talks in Cairo, including representatives from Hamas and Israel, have been constructive and they're going to continue over the next couple of days. Gotti. Matt Bradley, thank you. And the White House says President Biden is keeping a close eye on developments in the Middle East. Aaron Gilchrist is at the White House now. And Aaron, how's the administration responding? Well, Gotti, President Biden is flying back to the East Coast right now. And a White House official tells me he has been briefed today on developments in the Middle East. And overnight, he directed his national security team to keep the lines of communication open with Israel. A defense official also tells NBC News the U.S. military did not participate in any of the strikes we saw overnight, but did help Israel with tracking

Hezbollah activity. The Pentagon also says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been in touch with his Israeli counterpart, and he reinforced U.S. support for Israel's defense. Austin also ordered two Navy carrier strike groups to stay in that region. Aaron, thank you. And we are tracking extreme weather out west, with Hawaii narrowly missing a direct hit by Hurricane Hone and also those dramatic rescues from flash floods in the Grand Canyon. Dana Griffin is following it all and has the latest. Tonight, a close call for Hawaii after dodging Hurricane Hone. You see how large this system is. It churned close to the big island overnight, whipping winds up to 75 miles per hour, dumping heavy rain, cutting power to thousands, and grounding flights. Meanwhile, a popular tourist spot at the bottom of

the Grand Canyon is closed after a weekend-long rescue effort. More than 100 tourists and residents airlifted from the Havasupai Indian Reservation. After violent flash flooding ripped through on Thursday, washing away this campsite, hikers losing everything. This slab of canyon wall disintegrates, carried away by a raging river. The current so powerful, Shanoa Nickerson and her husband were swept away. He survived. She's still missing. Shanoa's brother sharing a message of hope. We love her and we won't give up until we find her. We were the first ones to get out of the bottom of the canyon.

Letitia Mims was also in that canyon. The waters were raging. Bridges were washing out. There were a lot of people who were trapped in the night caves. Latricia says she's alive because a friend warned her what to do if they heard thunder. He said if we heard thunder, we should head out of the canyon because it was monsoon season. And I heard thunder and it was really loud. So I said, maybe we should head to high ground. He saved my family's life and I will forever be grateful. Like so many there this weekend, grateful to make it out alive. Dana Griffin, NBC News.

And now to the race for the White House and the huge enthusiasm bump for Vice President Harris. Her campaign says her speech at the DNC on Thursday has sparked a massive surge in donations. It comes as former President Trump prepares to hit the trail in key battleground states this week. Adrienne Broaddus has the latest. Let's get out there. Let's vote for it. It's an all-out blitz to the finish line. We must defeat Kamala Harris.

With just 72 days until the election. There'll be time to sleep when you're dead. The presidential campaign's kicking into high gear. Courting voters. We need to be thinking about the future. We're nation in decline. Nobody is safe. And collecting cash. Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign saying they've raised $40 million since her convention speech Thursday.

Over half a billion dollars since President Biden dropped out July 21st. It's a battle for bucks. The latest numbers for the Trump campaign, it says it raised almost $139 million in the month of July. As donations flow, so does a bank of promises. Both parties campaigning on reproductive rights. When Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.

Today on Meet the Press, Donald Trump's VP pick J.D. Vance telling NBC's Kristen Welker that his running mate would not impose a federal ban on abortion. So he would veto a federal abortion ban? I think he would. He said that explicitly that mate would not impose a federal ban on abortion. So he would veto a federal abortion ban? I think he would. He said that explicitly that he would. As the Harris campaign builds on the momentum of its convention success, Republicans hope to gain ground and energize their base. Harrison Walls will kick off a bus tour through Georgia on Wednesday, while Mr. Trump will head to battleground states Wisconsin

and Michigan on Thursday. All of this leading up to the big debate next month. Gotti? Adrienne, thank you. Now to the space race and SpaceX preparing for two critical missions, one of them set to get underway this week. And at the same time, it's also preparing to bring home two astronauts who have been stuck in space since June. Marissa Parra reports. SpaceX counting down for two critical missions. The company tapped to bring astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams back down to Earth in February. Hello, everybody. The duo has made the International Space Station home nearly three months after launching on Boeing Starliner. That spaceship now set to

return home without them because of thruster issues that left the two stranded. Boeing saying in part, we continue to focus first and foremost on the safety of the crew and spacecraft. And in just days, it's been a really exciting journey. The Polaris Dawn mission set to make history will include the first all-civilian spacewalk and a whopping orbit 870 miles above Earth. Welcome to our simulator. Together, Scott Petit, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon, led by Jared Isaacman, will do what no human has before. Previewed in this animation, across five days, they'll do Starlink comms tests.

Astronauts Gillis and Isaacman will step out of the Dragon capsule and test human bounds in space. Above us is where we'll actually go out into the vacuum of space. The risks in space are something former shuttle commander Eileen Collins knows all too well. I think it's going to be fine, but I also think that it's risky. But for crew leader Isaacman, the risk is worth the reward. We're trying to inspire people to think about this extraordinary world we could live in tomorrow. One step and 870 miles closer to expanding home beyond Earth. Marissa Parra, NBC News. And there are growing concerns tonight about dangerous viruses that are spread by mosquitoes.

Weather changes are creating optimal conditions for cases to grow. And as Stephen Romo reports, one community is even recommending a curfew. are spread by mosquitoes. Weather changes are creating optimal conditions for cases to grow. And as Stephen Romo reports, one community is even recommending a curfew. Tonight, central Massachusetts on high alert for a potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus called Triple E, after an elderly man became the state's first case since 2020. Triple E, or eastern equine encephalitis, can cause severe neurological issues and has residents so concerned that officials in one town are recommending a 6 p.m. to sunrise curfew when mosquitoes are most active. NBC medical contributor Dr. Kavita Patel. How worried should we actually be about this? I think that if you're in a warm part of

the country, which is everywhere right now, you should be concerned enough that you should take precautions to protect yourself. That includes West Nile virus now reported in 33 states. One of those cases, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci recently hospitalized with the virus. It feels like we're seeing more mosquitoes, but are there actually more mosquitoes out? We are seeing higher mosquito activity than in summers past, but that's because we are seeing longer and more protracted summer seasons. So how can you keep safe? Apply insect repellent, wear protective clothing, and drain standing water outdoors.

Ways to guard against multiple mosquito concerns as summer winds down. Stephen Romo, NBC News. And still ahead tonight, our exclusive interview with the CEO of the company that makes Ozempic and Wegovi and their big plans for the future, plus a new twist in that deadly stabbing attack in Germany. And we are back with an NBC News exclusive, an interview with the CEO of the company that makes the weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovi. Our Megan Fitzgerald asked him about the high prices of those drugs, along with long-term effects. Just an hour away from the bustling bike lanes of Copenhagen sits a factory so big you need a car to get around. Blockbuster weight loss drug Wagovi and diabetes drug Ozempic

produced here by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. A state-of-the-art factory churning out these pens while robots shuffle them to the next phase of the process. This facility is one of a few producing the medicines worldwide. Because the popularity of these drugs have exploded, Novo Nordisk has increased production, making millions of pens in facilities like this one that are operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But that's still not enough. Across the world and even in the U.S., warnings that doses of Wagovi are in limited supply. We have to some

degree been overwhelmed by demand. It's a problem CEO Lars Fjurgård Jorgensen says they're tackling. We are investing significantly in ramping up capacity, but it's also fair to say that we are still in the beginning. Jorgensen spoke to us in Novo Nordisk, Copenhagen headquarters, before the company's quiet period ahead of their last earnings. How do you describe what your company is producing? I think this is a really exciting moment in the company's history. We now see a very strong set of clinical data that we are helping people living with type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and potential number of comorbidities. But while Wagovi has reshaped weight loss worldwide, it comes at a cost and one many Americans can't afford.

The list price for Wolgovy in the United States, $1,349. In the UK, it's $92. In Germany, it's $140. Why is Novo Nordisk price discriminating between markets? In markets where there's reimbursement, patients pay nothing or very small co-payments. We work a lot with insurance companies' payers in getting reimbursement, but it's much different from country to country how that system works. Nordis says while the list price for Wagovi in the U.S. is higher and that half of commercial insurance providers cover Wagovi, the vast majority of those insurance customers pay less than $25 a dose. But Medicare is prohibited from covering the drug for obesity because it's

considered a lifestyle medication and other providers say they can't afford to cover it. The treasurer of North Carolina went as far as to accuse Novo Nordisk of operating like a drug cartel. What's your response to that? Yeah, I think that's unfunded. And I would actually say I think we need a discussion around what's the value of these medicines. And if you look at just the cost of obesity in the U.S., it's a disease that costs Americans more than $400 billion a year. And we are actually providing products that's actually helping taking that cost burden off. For those who have used it, the drugs have been life-changing.

What's unclear at this early stage is how effective it will be long-term, with many regaining weight once they stop the drug. We're talking about millions of patients, and we'll learn that there'll probably be a different grouping of patients. Some will have obesity that takes really efficacious treatment for life because it's, say, an aggressive form of obesity. But you'll also probably find that there are patients who, after a period of treatment, change in lifestyle, can actually do without medicine. The treatment requiring weekly shots can be cumbersome. The next hurdle, creating a pill.

And they're testing the drugs to see if they help with Alzheimer's and kidney disease. We think that this is the start of another really exciting period with great signs coming to patients. A company and a drug that's changing the shape of medicine. Megan Fitzgerald, NBC News, Copenhagen, Denmark. And we are back in a moment with an airport targeted in a possible cyber attack that's already causing some delays. And we're back with new information about Friday's deadly knife attack in Germany. Police say the suspect is a 26-year-old Syrian citizen who applied for asylum in Germany and has turned himself in. Three people were killed and eight more wounded. Four of those

hurt are still in life-threatening condition. ISIS has claimed responsibility. And out west, an apparent cyber attack is causing outages at the port of Seattle, including the city's airport. Flights have already been delayed, with several canceled over the weekend. Port officials say they are working to restore internet and web-based systems that have been impacted. And if you've ever tried to stake out a spot at a busy seaside beach, check this out. Hundreds of sea lions taking over a popular beach in Monterey, California. Local residents say they have never seen so many at once. And the city was forced to shut it down indefinitely and put up barricades to keep people at least 150 feet away from the animals, with officials saying you can look, but you can't touch those sea lions. And they could be there to stay for the next three

to four weeks. Clearly getting very comfortable. And when we come back, there is good news tonight, the story behind these hugs and the life changing news for these athletes. And there is good news tonight about hard work paying off and college football players getting the surprise of a lifetime. The strength of this team is every single individual in this room. As college football season kicks off, there is greatness on and off the gridiron for walk-on players, guys who weren't recruited but tried out for the team. Great job, Ronnie. I'm excited, and I'm so excited I'm going to put you on scholarship. The University of South Carolina dreams coming true for linebacker Ronnie Porter

and running back Bradley Dunn. And that's why he's on scholarship too. Across the country, other walk-ons finding out their hard work has earned them a scholarship too. You are now on. These celebrations, a bright light for guys like John Adams, a wide receiver at Temple, leaning on teammates and coach Stan Drayton after a tough year losing two loved ones. The support that I have from this family and from these coaches, it's unbelievable. I wanna change it for the world. He, by example, by actions,

showed people how to earn and get what they deserve by just putting their nose down and working their butts off. And at Eastern Kentucky University, Miss Crystal Smith is gonna come on in. Defensive lineman, Brad Gurley, shocked when his mom showed going to come on in. Defensive lineman Brad Gurley shocked when his mom showed up to announce the surprise. I am Bradley Gurley's mom and I'm here to let you know you got a full scholarship son. There's Brad overwhelmed hugging the guys he calls brothers then falling into the arms of his mom Crystal so proud to be a part of her son's special day.

He's my baby, and we have worked so hard, and I'm so proud of him. His hard work is paying off, so it just makes me happy. It's happy tears. Happy tears. That's NBC Nightly News for this Sunday. I'm Gotti Schwartz. For all of us here at NBC News, thank you for watching and have a great night.